Patriotic posters

LEXINGTON - Uncle Sam wanted Americans not just to enlist, but to buy war bonds, grow food, and eat less meat, wheat and sugar.

On the 100th anniversary of America’s entrance into World War I, a fascinating exhibit of propaganda posters tells the story of the U.S. government’s massive effort to get Americans to make sacrifices and join in the war effort.

“It was a full-on effort and there was a lot of pressure to participate,” said Hilary Anderson Stelling, curator of “Americans, Do Your Bit: World War I in Posters,” which opened recently at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library in Lexington.

Drawing from the museum’s collection, Stelling selected about 50 posters of the 700 designs created by 300 artists who volunteered their services. From 1917 through 1918, the public saw 20 million posters whenever they left their homes, hung in stores, factories, libraries, subways, train stations, parks and many other venues.

“People may be surprised to see how sophisticated the advertising was 100 years ago and the extraordinary amount of work that happened in such a compressed period,” said Stelling, the museum’s director of collections and exhibitions. “The posters were designed to attract attention and play on emotions. They appealed to nobler parts of character as well as to guilt.”

The propaganda campaign was the Wilson administration’s effort to turn around the widespread public opposition to joining Britain, France and other Western allies, who had been suffering enormous losses of soldiers and civilians since 1914. With radio in its infancy and television decades away, artists provided the slogans and images to spur a reluctant population to not only support the war effort, but make sacrifices.

Organized into five themes, the exhibit’s “Food is Ammunition” section has some of the most artistic, evocative posters urging people to produce, conserve and preserve to free up food for soldiers and civilians overseas.

In the midst of baskets of gorgeous orange, red, yellow and green fruits and vegetables, the text reads: “This is what God gives us. What are you giving so that others may live? Eat less WHEAT, MEAT, FATS, SUGAR. Send more to Europe or they will starve.”

Another poster appealed to substantial immigrant population with an image of families on a ship nearing the Statue of Liberty and the text: “Food Will Win the War. You came here seeking Freedom. You must now help to preserve it. WHEAT is needed for the allies. Waste Nothing.”

Interestingly, one poster reads like today’s health and sustainable guidelines:: Use less wheat & meat, Buy local foods, Serve just enough, and Use what is left.

In addition to the need for food, the government had to raise billions of dollars to fund the war. Buying Liberty Bonds and War Saving Stamps, people spent large and small sums, totaling over $20 billion. The government appealed specifically to women to buy stamps with posters such as “Joan of Arc Saved France” and to Boy Scouts to sell stamps with posters such as “Weapons for Liberty.” To show they had participated, women posted a sign in a front window and Boy Scouts wore bronze emblems.

Although many of the artists were unknown, others were nationally recognized, such as James Montgomery Flagg (who created the figure of Uncle Sam) and Howard Chandler Christy. In the section “For Home and Country, Liberty Bonds,” Christy’s “Clear the Way” used sensuality to motivate viewers to buy bonds. A woman in a diaphanous dress and victory crown of laurel leaves beckons the viewer in front of an American flag.

With an Army of only 100,000 in 1914, the government had to quickly find and train nearly 2 million fighting forces, an effort seen in the section “The Spirit of 1917, Raising an Army.” To bring in volunteers to supplement the newly created draft, there were posters such as “Spirit of 1917” urging men to Join the U.S. Marines at 82 Tremont Row in Boston.

In the section “Hold Up Your End! Humanitarian Organizations,” posters urged viewers to volunteer with and donate money to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, YWCA, YMCA and other organizations that provided nurses, supplies and other support.

Even after the war, posters were used to inspire people to remember and support the men who returned home to join the work force and honor the 125,000 who died during 20 months of fighting. In the section “These Boys Will Look Up to You, Return and Remembrance,” the poster “Americans All!" lists honor roll names, reflecting the Italian, Irish, Jewish, Greek, Hispanic and Eastern European origins of the soldiers.

In addition to the posters, the exhibit connects visitors with soldiers and nurses through uniforms, identification tags, letters, and objects they used, such as a set of trench checkers, a sewing kit and postcards.

“It was a massive effort and it’s all very poignant,” Stelling said.

Jody Feinberg is a staff writer for our sister newspaper in Quincy, The Patriot Ledger. She may be reached at jfeinberg@ledger.com or follow her on Twitter @JodyF_Ledger.